States » EastPosted at: Sep 25 2026 11:25PM


Bengal:West Burdwan caps sand price at Rs 1,200 per tractor load

Asansol, Sep 25 (UNI) In a major move to revive the stalled construction sector, the West Burdwan district administration has capped the price of riverbed sand at Rs 1,200 per tractor load.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by District Magistrate S Ponnambalam in Asansol, following direct intervention from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. While the base price at the river ghats remains fixed, transportation costs will vary depending on the delivery distance.
The decision comes in response to soaring sand prices that had brought construction projects across the district to a grinding halt. Speaking on the crisis, Asansol North MLA Krishnendu Mukherjee said the artificial scarcity and inflated prices had severely affected the local economy, leaving daily wage labourers and construction workers without employment.
To ensure strict compliance and prevent hoarding or overcharging, the administration has appointed dedicated monitoring officers at all 15 licensed sand ghats in the district. The meeting was attended by key political and administrative figures, including Durgapur East MLA Chandrasekhar Banerjee, Durgapur West MLA Lakhan Ghorui, senior police officials and leaseholders of the district's sand ghats.
The district administration has also deployed special task forces to enforce the price cap, following an intense police crackdown on illegal mining that sent market rates soaring to an unprecedented Rs 9,000 per 100 cubic feet (CFT).
The heavy policing has triggered a shift in local smuggling tactics. As law enforcement targeted heavy commercial vehicles, operators abandoned traditional trucks, dumpers and tractors. Instead, smugglers began using motorised three-wheeled e-rickshaws, or Totos, to move illicit sand in small batches.
In response, police launched a zero-tolerance campaign, registering formal cases even for minor seizures of 50 kg to 100 kg. However, the aggressive enforcement squeezed the local supply chain, causing retail prices to rise sharply.
To shield the public from the price surge, the administration is enforcing a flat rate of Rs 1,200 per tractor load. The move has sparked anxiety among commercial leaseholders who won riverbed mining rights through state auctions worth crores of rupees.
Defending the strict enforcement, West Burdwan District Magistrate Ponnambalam S said consumer protection remained the government's top priority.
"Out of the 15 functional sand ghats in the district, 13 are established leases with moderate initial bid structures. These operators will not face severe financial strain under the Rs 1,200 tractor cap," the District Magistrate stated.
While acknowledging that the two newly auctioned ghats secured much higher bids, meaning those specific leaseholders will face a tighter squeeze, he clarified the state's stance: "Our immediate focus is ensuring citizens get sand at the regulated price. Reassessing profit margins and commercial losses is a secondary matter."
The Rs 1,200 pricing model replicates policies previously rolled out in neighbouring Bankura and East Burdwan districts. While those regions saw mixed results and lingering black-market friction, West Burdwan officials hope that placing on-site government monitors will stabilise supply lines and bring long-term order to the local construction sector.
To address critical supply gaps in areas such as Andal and Durgapur-Faridpur blocks, the state is setting up centralised storage hubs to reduce transportation costs. Furthermore, 12 newly marked sand ghats are awaiting environmental clearance before being auctioned.
To eliminate black marketing, the government is speeding up tractor registrations through local BDOs, enforcing a strict Rs 1,200 price ceiling and installing CCTV surveillance at all active mining points. State-backed housing and welfare schemes will receive priority distribution under the new framework. UNI DC NST CDS
Tags: #Bengal:West Burdwan caps sand price at Rs 1#200 per tractor load
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see more..